July 03, 2019 2 min read
Sure, everyone has heard of the Great Allegheny Passage, or GAP trail as most call it. But are you familiar with the future connector rail trail known as Indian Creek Valley Trail? We explored this trail in the spring of 2019 because, well, it's on our Ohiopyle-Laurel Highlands Lizard Map. Follow along with us as we check out this new trail in Laurel Highlands!
Start your adventure at the parking area on Killarney Road, just off of Route 381 along Indian Creek Reservoir. From the parking area, cross the gated road bridge, then follow the dirt driveway for a bit as it runs parallel to the reservoir. Pay attention as the trail splits off to the left while the driveway continues straight ahead.
Even though the trail drops into a gorge, this is really a quite gentle rail trail line. The surface was updated May 2019, so it should be even better now than ever before! Besides a smooth surface, hikers, bikers, and runners, can expect to see plenty of wildflowers in spring and summer, and plenty of beautiful yellow, orange, and red tree leaves in fall.
The trail descends easily along Indian Creek, which is absolutely gorgeous. Seriously, this is one under-rated stream!
As of now this trail ends at the live railway along Youghiogheny River. Just across this wide and swift river is the GAP trail. While we've been told that some cyclists swim across the river with their bike in tow, and others paddle across on a pack raft, we don't suggest either. For now, we suggest getting involved with Mountain Watershed Association and the Youghiogheny River Keepers to help secure funding to bridge the gap between these two trails!
Sign up to get the latest on sales, new releases and more …
Join the Purple Lizard e-news community and stay in the loop on the latest Purple Lizard product offerings, discounts, map updates, adventure ideas and more.